Welcome
On the morning of Tuesday, 29th December 1903, a notice was posted outside of Walton gaol prison; “I, Arthur Price, surgeon of his Majesty’s prison of Liverpool, hearby certify that I this day examined the body of Henry Bertram Starr, on whom judgement of death was passed, and that on examination I found Henry Bertram…
As the sun rose over the City, the lush green landscape would reveal its secrets that lead to many a person frequenting the meadow that at times became their home-from-home. The chorus of pleasant sounding birds, the sound of the slow running river that contained a plethora of wildlife from cray fish to eels added…
Situated between the town of Bury and the village of Norden lies the small hamlet of Birtle, nestled away in the North West of England. Dotted along the rolling fields are many farm buildings and small businesses that have been passed down through many generations, and it’s within this setting we are travelling back almost…
Today, we seemingly take many things for granted, never giving a thought to what our ancestors went through over a hundred years ago. Going to and from work using our cars as well as other means of transport, to carrying out our daily duties within our workplaces which is reminiscent of scenes from Groundhog Day…
Towards the latter end of the Victorian era, most people were beginning to benefit from cheaper – imported foods, cleaner water, better sanitization, more diversity when it came to entertainment – such as music halls, libraries, museums and art galleries. Working conditions had become much better with shorter working hours for women and children in…
Today’s story has been recommended to me by Eddie Beetham, a direct descendant of Miss Alice Beetham with whom this next story is all about. Shortly after 8am on Tuesday, July 23rd 1912 – the sound of the tolling bell from inside Stangeways Gaol closed the final chapter of a story that first began in…
Just before 6.30am on Sunday, 29th September 1895, the residents of Shakespeare Street in Padiham were awoken from their early morning slumber by the shouts of “murder!” coming from somewhere on the back streets. Inside number 24, 41 year old Mary Ann Marsden was making her way down from her bedroom, dazed and in some…
“The Burnley Sensation” as it was now becoming known had caused a great stir not only in Burnley but also that of Manchester and not even the hustle and bustle of daily life could conceal the fact that something of unusual importance was about to take place, and on Friday the 6th October 1893, Minshull…
Accrington during the mid-to-late 1800’s had managed to find itself immune from murder whilst all around them in places such as Haslingden, Blackburn and Burnley had for some strange reason found themselves to be hotbeds for crimes that many seemed beyond comprehension. And whilst a serious crime that had resulted in the murder of a…